There are many reasons the canyons were closed, but this is apparently one of them.Quote:
The website actually encourages the practice of asking to park at a residence, and possibly paying a small fee. Seems like a great idea.
See this old post on the canyons group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/canyons/message/9226
I am often asked how good I think chances are of more Navajo canyons
opening. Currently, the answer is "not very".
The original reason for some specific closures had to do with the
number of rescues. I think the ACA could have helped with this issue
by inviting tribal rangers to participate in rescue courses.
Unfortunately, I learned earlier this year that two additional issues
have created more concerns and resulted in many more closures.
1) People being inconsiderate of tribal members' homes. The first
canyon I ever did using Kelsey's guidebook is called Chaol. The
description reads "...drive to mile marker X, turn left to Owen
Yazzie's house, then turn right..." I remember wondering how many
people might knock on the door to make sure they have the right
house. Turns out, quite a few. As the result of numerous people
cutting across yards, being too loud as they pass by homes, etc. any
canyon that is not directly accessible from a public road is CLOSED.
This only leaves Waterholes, Antelope and a few of the Marble Canyon
tributaries open.
NOTE: Don't try and turn this one into an excuse for Kelsey bashing.
I didn't read anything in his guidebook that suggested people should
knock on doors, drive offroad across yards, etc. Common sense and
common courtesy should have dictated peoples' actions.
2) A few selfish people who believe they have the right to ignore the
rules and trespass on Navajo land without a permit. I'm not sure if
anything upsets Native Americans more than people who don't respect
their right to govern and control their own land. They DO have the
right to open or close canyons, impose restrictions, require guides,
charge for permits, etc. Tell them they don't have the right to close
them and they are even more likely to do so. People who knowingly
ignore the rules are being selfish and are jeopardizing future access
for the entire canyoneering community.
I don't think the situation is entirely hopeless. If canyoneers can
prove that they are responsible and respectful, perhaps someday ...
Although I disagree with Rich on several issues, the information above is good.
Another reason for the closures is because of people having no permits.
Anyway, I have been told that the Navajos sometime do give out permits for lower Kaibito Creek (non-technical), even though the website says it's officially closed. It wouldn't hurt asking the permit office (rather than at a local home). If you explain where you are parking and your route, it apparently is possible at times.
I've never poached a canyon with two possible exceptions. One was when the NPS screwed up my permit. Another one was on the Hualapai Reservation. We went to get a permit and the office was closed. We were told to drop by on our way out. On the way out it was closed again, so I sent a letter and never recieved a reply back. Years later, the internet said (there was no interenet during the time period when we went) that hiking permits haven't been issued since about a year before we did our hike (it's been opened up again), so if this can be counted as poaching, it was accidental.Quote:
I believe most of us have poached canyons for various reasons and usually we have a self serving reason of why we should be excluded from the rules....
I haven't done that many canyons on the Navajo Reservation, but I have done some. Most of the time (every time for me), the Navajos are friendly people. Despite what some guidebooks/sources seem to say, I've found that the Navajos I have met are aware that you are supposed to have a permit to hike on the reservation. Once when we did Silver Grotto and were waiting for a car shuttle, a Navajo came over to us and asked us if we were aware that we were on private land. I told them we had a permit and he was very kind after learning that we did and told us not to let anyone else give us flack (and one did). When we did Aztec Creek and it's environs, I was unable to get an advanced permit (I didn't know if I could go until it was too late to go through the mail system) and it was out of the way to get a permit in person. The trip leader (goofball on Bogley) made a phone call, and was told that I could get my "permit" after the hike if I would send them the number of days I went, where and sent the fee. In some ways the Navajos are more accomodating then the NPS or non-reservation private lands.